EUU, Alm.del - 2023-24 - Bilag 680: Referat fra COSAC formandsmødet og Trojka mødet 28-29/7-24 i Budapest

Europaudvalget 2023-24
EUU Alm.del Bilag 680
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MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE CHAIRPERSONS OF COSAC

UDAPEST

, H

UNGARY

, 28 - 29 J

ULY

2024

Note:

The text of keynote interventions which have been shared with the Presidency will be

published on IPEX. A video recording of the full meeting is available via the

webpage of the

Parliamentary Dimension of the Hungarian Presidency.

ROCEEDINGS

IN THE CHAIR: Mr Zoltán TESSELY, Chairman of the Committee on European Affairs,

Hungarian

Országgyűlés.

PENING

ESSION

Opening remarks

Mr István JAKAB, Deputy Speaker of the Hungarian

Országgyűlés

held an opening keynote

intervention welcoming delegations to Budapest. The English translation of the speech is

accessible on IPEX.

ROCEDURAL ISSUES AND MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS

Mr TESSELY briefly presented the draft agenda for the meeting, which then was adopted

without any remarks. He went on to present the results of the meeting of the Presidential Troika

of COSAC. He noted that the Troika had approved the agenda for the Meeting of the

Chairpersons of COSAC, the Outline of the 42nd Bi-annual Report, as well as discussed the

draft programme for the LXXII COSAC Plenary Meeting. The letters received by the

Presidency had been presented to the Troika. He then went on to present the draft programme

for the LXXII COSAC Plenary Meeting to the delegations.

Mr TESSELY welcomed the delegates attending the Meeting of the Chairpersons of COSAC

for the first time: Mr Telmo FARIA, Chair of the European Affairs Committee of the

Portuguese

Assembleia da República,

Ms Mirela FURTUNĂ, Chair of the Committee on

European Affairs of the Romanian

Camera Deputaților,

Mr Peter De ROOVER, Speaker of

the House and Chair of the Advisory Committee on European Affairs of the Belgian

Kamer

van Volksvertegenwoordigers/Chambre des représentants

and Mr Younous OMARJEE, Vice

President of the European Parliament.

He furthermore informed delegations about letters received by the Presidency, noting that

requests to attend the Meeting of the Chairpersons of COSAC had been sent from the

Kuvendi

EUU, Alm.del - 2023-24 - Bilag 680: Referat fra COSAC formandsmødet og Trojka mødet 28-29/7-24 i Budapest

i Kosovës

of Kosovo

, the

Storting

of Norway, the Swiss

Assemblée fédérale,

and the

House of

Lords

of the United Kingdom. After consultation with the Troika, these requests had been

replied to favourably. He also brought the delegations’ attention to a letter from Mr Edmunds

CEPURĪTIS, Chairperson of the European Affairs Committee of the Latvian

Saeima,

in which

Mr CEPURĪTIS explained his reasons for not attending the Meeting of the Chairpersons of

COSAC. Lastly, the Outline of the 42nd Bi-annual Report was adopted without comments and

the delegations were informed that the questionnaire would be sent immediately after the

meeting.

ESSION

I - P

RESENTATION OF THE

RESIDENCY OF THE

OUNCIL OF THE

The session was chaired by Mr TESSELY.

PRIORITIES OF THE

UNGARIAN

The session began with a keynote intervention by Mr János BÓKA, Hungarian Minister for

European Union Affairs. The speech of Mr BÓKA is published on IPEX.

During the ensuing debate, 29 speakers took the floor.

Members highlighted various aspects of the priorities of the Hungarian presidency of the

Council of the EU as important, and also indicated that there were many elements in common

with their parliamentary priorities. Many members mentioned the Migration and Asylum Pact

as an essential aspect, with a focus on better protection of external borders and cooperation

with the countries of origin. The emphasis on policies in the technology and industry sector

was welcomed by some speakers, while others referred to the new common defence policy as

an important aspect in the current context. Some members underlined the relationship with

Hungary, whilst others commented on the recent actions taken by the Prime Minister Viktor

ORBÁN. In the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the continuous support was widely

advocated. All candidate countries, as well as some Member States discussed the merit-based

EU enlargement process. Furthermore, in light of the European election and the change of

leadership in the European institutions, the representation of political groups in the European

Parliament was referred to. Among other topics the importance of the subsidiarity principle,

balanced EU legislation and necessity of the dialogue amongst and with parliaments, the

support for SMEs and demographic challenges were mentioned. Some other issues raised

concerned enlargement of the Schengen Area, the conflict in the Middle East and the

sustainability of social welfare states.

The following speakers took the floor during this debate:

Mr Younous OMARJEE (European Parliament), Mr Peter DE ROOVER (Belgian

Kamer van

volksvertegenwoordigers/Chambre des représentants),

Mr Patryk GABRIEL (Polish

Sejm),

Ms Hajnalka JUHÁSZ (Hungarian

Országgyűlés),

Mr Dimitrios KOUVELAS (Greek

Vouli

ton Ellinon),

Mr Martin ENGELBERG (Austrian

Nationalrat),

Mr Anton HOFREITER

This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ opinion

on Kosovo Declaration of Independence.

EUU, Alm.del - 2023-24 - Bilag 680: Referat fra COSAC formandsmødet og Trojka mødet 28-29/7-24 i Budapest

(German

Bundestag),

Mr Alain CADEC (French

Sénat),

Mr Ján FERENČÁK (Slovak

Národná rada),

Mr Johan DESSING (Dutch

Eerste Kamer),

Ms Christiana EROTOKRITOU

(Cyprus

Vouli ton Antiprosopon),

Mr Pere Joan PONS SAMPIETRO (Spanish

Senado),

Mirela FURTUNĂ (Romanian

Camera Deputaţilor),

Mr Alessandro GIGLIO VIGNA (Italian

Camera dei Deputati),

Mr Heikki AUTTO (Finnish

Eduskunta),

Mr Giulio TERZI DI

SANT’AGATA (Italian

Senato della Repubblica),

Mr Francisco José CONDE LÓPEZ

(Spanish

Congreso de los Diputados),

Mr Rainer ROBRA (German

Bundesrat),

Mr Edward

ZAMMIT LEWIS (Maltese

Kamra tad-Deputati),

Mr Brendan HOWLIN (Irish

Dáil Eireann),

Ms Ivanna KLYMPUSH-TSINTSADZE (Ukrainian

Verkhovna Rada),

Ms Elvira KOVÁCS

(Serbian

Narodna skupština),

Mr Jovan SUBOTIĆ (Montenegrin

Skupština Crne Gore),

Kreshnik COLLAKU (Albanian

Kuvendi i Shqipërisë),

Mr Burhan KAYATÜRK (Turkish

Büyük Millet Meclisi),

Mr Mile LEFKOV (North Macedonian

Sobranie),

Mr Radu MARIAN

(Moldovan

Parlamentul Republicii),

Mr Christian TYBRING-GJEDDE (Norwegian

Storting),

Mr Ismail Emrah KARAYEL (Turkish

Büyük Millet Meclisi).

ESSION

II - S

TATE

OF PLAY OF THE

ESTERN

ALKAN

AND

ASTERN

ENLARGEMENTS OF THE

UROPEAN

NION

The session was chaired by Mr TESSELY.

The session began with the keynote interventions by Mr Olivér VÁRHELYI, European

Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement and Mr Péter SZTÁRAY, Hungarian State

Secretary for Security Policy and Energy Security in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The speech of Mr VÁRHELYI is published on IPEX.

Mr SZTÁRAY emphasised in his intervention that the issue of enlargement is a strategic goal

for the European Union from a geopolitical, economic and security point of view, which

together with competitiveness, European protection, demography and migration shapes the

future of the European Union. Mr SZTÁRAY also referred to the internal reforms of the

European Union, highlighting that they cannot be a precondition or obstacle for enlargement.

He furthermore mentioned the progress made by each candidate country, highlighting that it is

the European Union’s obligation to welcome new members and therefore extend the zone of

stability. Mr SZTÁRAY confirmed Hungary’s ongoing openness to political dialogue with

candidate countries, as well as support in the fulfilment of the Copenhagen criteria. He also

added that national parliaments have extensive expertise, which they can share with candidate

countries and so help them in their accession process.

During the debate, 33 speakers took the floor.

In general, all members expressed their collective support for the enlargement of the European

Union, recognizing the significant positive impact that membership can have on candidate

countries. In the context of eastern enlargement, particular emphasis was placed on the

integration of Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia, with the assertion that this process would

EUU, Alm.del - 2023-24 - Bilag 680: Referat fra COSAC formandsmødet og Trojka mødet 28-29/7-24 i Budapest

contribute to enhanced peace and stability in the region. With respect to the Western Balkans,

the European Commission's new Growth Plan was met with a warm reception. This plan seeks

to foster closer ties between the Western Balkan nations and the EU by providing preliminary

benefits associated with EU membership prior to official accession. Such initiatives are

designed to stimulate economic growth and accelerate socio-economic convergence within the

region. Furthermore, several members reiterated the importance of respecting the unique

characteristics and needs of smaller member states, both in the run-up to and in the aftermath

of enlargement. They highlighted the advantages of adopting a merit-based approach to the

enlargement process and underscored the vital role of the Copenhagen criteria for all candidate

countries, with particular attention to the necessity of reforming the rule of law. Lastly, a

prominent theme shared among members was the need for reform within EU institutions. Just

as candidate countries must demonstrate their readiness for accession, it is imperative that the

EU itself is equally prepared for enlargement. Nonetheless, this preparedness should not hinder

the progress of candidate countries toward membership. Rather, the EU should remain

committed to its core principles and actively promote peace, stability, and prosperity across the

continent.

The following speakers took the floor during the debate:

Mr Younous OMARJEE (European Parliament), Mr Peter DE ROOVER (Belgian

Kamer van

volksvertegenwoordigers / Chambre des représentants,

Mr Jacek WŁOSOWICZ (Polish

Sejm),

Mr Richárd HÖRCSIK (Hungarian

Országgyűlés),

Mr Pere Joan PONS SAMPIETRO

(Spanish

Cortes Generales),

Mr Anton HOFREITER (German

Bundestag),

Mr Ján

FERENČÁK (Slovak

Národná rada),

Mr Dimitrios KOUVELAS (Greek

Vouli ton Ellinon),

Mr Ivan RAČAN (Croatian

Hrvatski sabor),

Mr Alessandro GIGLIO VIGNA (Italian

Camera

dei Deputati),

Mr Péter BALASSA (Hungarian

Országgyűlés),

Mr Gusty GRAAS

(Luxembourgish

Chambre des Députés),

Mr Giulio TERZI DI SANT’AGATA (Italian

Senato

della Repubblica),

Mr Cristian GHICA (Romanian

Senat),

Mr Francisco José CONDE LÓPEZ

(Spanish

Cortes Generales),

Mr Edward ZAMMIT LEWIS (Maltese

Kamra tad-Deputati),

Heikki AUTTO (Finish

Eduskunta),

Ms Mirela FURTUNĂ (Romanian

Camera Deputaţilor),

Mr Alain CADEC (French

Sénat),

Mr Christian BUCHMANN (Austrian

Bundesrat),

Telmo FARIA (Portuguese

Assembleia da República),

Ms Elvira KOVÁCS (Serbian

Narodna

skupština),

Mr Burhan KAYATÜRK (Turkish

Büyük Millet Meclisi),

Ms Ina COSERU

(Moldovan

Parlamentul Republicii),

Ms Ivanna KLYMPUSH-TSINTSADZE (Ukrainian

Verkhovna Rada),

Ms Maka BOTCHORISHVILI (Georgian

Sakartvelos p'arlament'I),

Igor ZDRAVKOVSKI (North Macedonian

Sobranie),

Ms Rrezarta KRASNIQI (Kosovan

Kuvendi i Kosovës),

Mr Milan RADIN (Serbian

Narodna skupština),

Mr Jovan SUBOTIĆ

(Montenegrin

Skupština Crne Gore),

Mr Ismail Emrah KARAYEL (Turkish

Büyük Millet

Meclisi),

Mr Zdenko ĆOSIĆ (Bosnian and Herzegovinian

Parlamentarna skupština),

Hans-Peter PORTMANN (Swiss

Assemblée fédérale).

EUU, Alm.del - 2023-24 - Bilag 680: Referat fra COSAC formandsmødet og Trojka mødet 28-29/7-24 i Budapest

LOSING

ESSION

Mr TESSELY ended by briefly summarising the topics raised during the day, and thanked

delegations for having participated personally in the Meeting of the Chairpersons of COSAC.

He invited delegations to the LXXII COSAC, which will be held between 27 and 29 October

2024 in Budapest. Mr TESSELY concluded the meeting by also thanking parliamentary staff

and interpreters for their work.